Editorial Board Guest Author

Mr. Kurre

Adrian Kurre

Global Head, Homewood Suites & Home2 Suites by Hilton

Adrian Kurre serves as the global head for Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton; the award-winning brands that are part of Hilton Worldwide’s “All Suites” category. Mr. Kurre is responsible for the overall strategy for both brands with his primary objectives to diversify and increase revenue, drive brand growth and development, increase consumer loyalty, as well as maintain collaborative relationships with hotel owners and management company representatives to position both Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites as innovators in the All-Suites category. He also continues to build on the commitment of the brands award winning customer satisfaction culture. Homewood Suites has received the highest segment ranking in the J.D. Power 2015 North American Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, marking the sixth consecutive year and 12th time the brand received this annual award. Mr. Kurre is a highly experienced brand leader, with nearly 40 years of hospitality experience. He began his hospitality career as a waiter and bartender and transitioned into restaurant management for Black Angus Restaurants. He then pursued a career in hotel hospitality at Courtyard by Marriott and eventually became Director of Operations. Prior to his appointment as global head for Homewood and Home2 Suites by Hilton, Mr. Kurre led the growth and development as global head for Hilton Garden Inn. During his nineteen-year tenure, Hilton Garden Inn grew from merely four hotels to more than 650 global properties with multiple award wins. Previous positions have included Vice President of Brand Management of Focused Service Hotels for Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Suites and DoubleTree Club by Hilton hotels. Originally from the small town of Milaca, MN, Mr. Kurre is a fitness advocate and enthusiast with four marathons to his credit including one in Antarctica and the St. Jude Memphis Marathon where he raised over $11,000 in donations as a St. Jude Hero. He was also a finalist in the 2014 Men’s Health Ultimate Guy Search Competition highlighting his fitness transformation. Mr. Kurre enjoys spending quality time with his wife, Tammy, daughter and twin boys. Please visit http://www.hilton.com for more information.

Guest Service: Empowering People

Excellent customer service is vitally important in all businesses but it is especially important for hotels where customer service is the lifeblood of the business. Outstanding customer service is essential in creating new customers, retaining existing customers, and cultivating referrals for future customers. Employees who meet and exceed guest expectations are critical to a hotel's success, and it begins with the hiring process. It is imperative for HR personnel to screen for and hire people who inherently possess customer-friendly traits - empathy, warmth and conscientiousness - which allow them to serve guests naturally and authentically. Trait-based hiring means considering more than just a candidate's technical skills and background; it means looking for and selecting employees who naturally desire to take care of people, who derive satisfaction and pleasure from fulfilling guests' needs, and who don't consider customer service to be a chore. Without the presence of these specific traits and attributes, it is difficult for an employee to provide genuine hospitality. Once that kind of employee has been hired, it is necessary to empower them. Some forward-thinking hotels empower their employees to proactively fix customer problems without having to wait for management approval. This employee empowerment—the permission to be creative, and even having the authority to spend money on a customer's behalf - is a resourceful way to resolve guest problems quickly and efficiently. When management places their faith in an employee's good judgment, it inspires a sense of trust and provides a sense of higher purpose beyond a simple paycheck. The April issue of the Hotel Business Review will document what some leading hotels are doing to cultivate and manage guest satisfaction in their operations.